72nd Division (Spain)

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The 72nd Division was a unit of the Spanish Republican Army created during the Spanish Civil War from the Mixed Brigades. It fought on the Aragón and Segre fronts as part of the XVIII Army Corps. It was formed on September 23, 1937, initially including the 94th and 224th Mixed Brigades.

In December 1937 the division was sent to the Teruel sector, but it was not yet ready and did not take part in the Battle of Teruel. It performed poorly in the Aragon Offensive, became seriously battered, and its commander, José María Enciso Madolell, was captured by Nationalist forces. The division was dissolved on March 11, 1938, with its remnants attached to the Ebro Autonomous Group. It was reconstituted on April 19, 1938 within the XVIII Army Corps.

At the end of May it participated in the Balaguer Offensive to support other units, but the offensive failed. In the following months it stayed in the rear without major actions. When the Catalonia Offensive began, the division was overwhelmed by the advance of the Nationalist 84th Division near Camarasa, offering little resistance. Its commander, Pascual Saura, was removed, and the division retreated with the rest of the XVIII Army Corps.